Tom Leadon was a guitarist who co-founded Tom Petty’s (1950–2017) first band, Mudcrutch.
- Died: March 22, 2023 (Who else died on March 22?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 70.
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Musical career
Leadon met Petty as a teen in Gainesville, Florida, where they formed the band the Epics, with Leadon on guitar and Petty on bass. The band evolved into Mudcrutch in 1971, which reformed a few years later as the Heartbreakers, the band with whom Petty achieved his fame. However, Leadon had left Mudcrutch in 1972, bound for Los Angeles on the heels of his brother, Eagles banjo player Bernie Leadon. Petty later said that Leadon’s move inspired him to do the same a few years later. In Los Angeles, Leadon played bass with Linda Ronstadt and joined the country rock band Silver, who recorded the 1976 hit, “Wham Bang.” Leadon and his brother, along with Eagles members Glenn Frey (1948–2016) and Don Henley, co-wrote the song “Hollywood Waltz.” He later relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where he taught guitar lessons before rejoining Mudcrutch when Petty reunited the band in 2007. Leadon recorded two new albums with them before Petty’s death.
Notable quote
“Part of Gainesville, it’s a big part of the culture there, people just enjoy sharing music with each other, playing music with each other… We grew up in San Diego, but there was more of a music scene in Gainesville, more of a band scene. It was a rich culture for music. At the time I didn’t realize it as much at the time, but Gainesville was a really special place to be.” —from an interview for Gainesville Rock History
Tributes to Tom Leadon
Full obituary: The Gainesville Sun
